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GOOD TASTE IN 
HOME FURNISHING 



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GOOD TASTE IN 
HOME FURNISHING 



BY 

MAUD ANN SELL 

AND 

HENRY BLACKMAN SELL 



FRONTISPIECE IN COLOR 

PAGE PLATES AND 

MARGINAL SKETCHES 

BY 

HOWARD R.WELD 



NEW YORK 

JOHN LANE COMPANY 

MCMXV 



rtti 



US' 






Copyright, 1915, 
Bt John Lane Company 



Press of 

J. J. Little & Ives Company 

New York, U.S.A. 



OCT 14 1915 

CIA 4140 JO 

He 



FOREWORD 

To Howard V. O'Brien, by whose per- 
mission portions of this book are reprinted 
from "Art" and "The Trimmed Lamp," the 
authors extend their thanks. 

M. A. S. 

H. B. S. 

Chicago, 111., 1915. 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. Color n 

II. Wall Coverings 25 

III. Floor Coverings .... 38 

IV. Oriental Rugs 53 

V. Lighting Fixtures .... 67 

VI. Draperies 85 

VII. Furniture 97 

VIII. The Living Room . . . .118 

LX. The Dining Room . . . .126 

X. The Bed Room 132 

XL When Buying Remember That 136 



GOOD TASTE IN 
HOME FURNISHING 



GOOD TASTE IN HOME 
FURNISHING 

CHAPTER I 

COLOR 

"What can I do to make my home more 
comfortable, more cheerful, and more beau- 
tiful?" This is the question that is being 
constantly asked by intelligent men and 
women in every walk of life. Whether that 
home be a mansion with a corps of servants, 
or whether it be a single room, the desire 
for attractively arranged surroundings is 
growing stronger every year, and because of 
this increasing interest the problem of in- 
terior decoration and furnishing is becoming 
a matter of more and more importance to 

everyone. 

11 



12 



GOOD TASTE IN 



Until a comparatively recent period deco- 
rations were governed by some fashion head, 
a king with a taste for the beautiful, a duke 
or duchess in favor at court, or, in more demo- 
cratic days, by such versatile artists as Wil- 
liam Morris, Thomas Chippendale, the Adam 
brothers, and their famous contemporaries 
among the eighteenth-century cabinet mak- 
ers and designers. What satisfied the caprice 
or the ideal of these rulers of the world deco- 
rative was accepted as final, the edict was 
sent out, and those who would be in fashion's 
favor had their homes decorated in accord- 
ance. The great majority of the people gave 
the matter little or no consideration, and the 
fine art of interior decoration was left to 
those who had the means and the taste for 
luxurious extravagances. 

But to-day the "great majority" have come 
to realize what an important factor a beauti- 
ful home can be in the enjoyment and de- 







HOME FURNISHING 13 

velopment of their lives; they are more inde- 
pendent, wishing to know the reason for 
things before doing them. We are gradually 
awakening to the fact that bad decoration 
can no longer pose under the kindly mask 
of "a difference in taste" ; that it is no longer 
sufficient to say, "I may not know what Art 
is but I know what I like when I see it." 
We are learning to know what we want be- 
fore we see it, and to ask for it intelligently. 
In this way we are saving ourselves many 
tedious hours of searching aimlessly, much 
money that would be wasted in futile trial 
purchases, and assuring as a generous reward 
for our efforts, a characteristic, pleasing and 
comfortable home environment. 

It is not the money that is spent on the 
rooms that brings about the tasteful arrange- 
ments so much to be desired, it is the appli- 
cation of a few simple and well denned laws, 
which, when coupled with the good common 



i 4 GOOD TASTE IN 

sense of the average American woman, is the 
real secret of this unusually complicated and 
many-sided business. 

Good decoration and furnishing may be 
defined as a consistent relationship between 
color, light, line and pattern arranged in 
proper proportions and given the proper di- 
mensions. Apart from any knowledge of 
periods, apart from any knowledge of his- 
toric decoration, these fundamentals must 
harmonize before effectual work can be ac- 
complished. 

The first thing to do when you are con- 
fronted with the decoration and furnishing 
of a given room is to take an inventory of its 
color possibilities. 

Of course, everything that goes to make up 
the completed scheme is important. The 
wall coverings, the floor coverings, the illu- 
mination, the furniture, the pictures, and the 
way they are all placed; each is of great value 



HOME FURNISHING 15 

in itself, and in its harmonious relation to its 
neighbor, and to the whole, but the back- 
ground of all this — the atmosphere of the 
room — is the color. It is the element that 
can materially strengthen or weaken the most 
carefully studied arrangements of form and 

line. 

Everyone is more or less sensitive to the 
influence of color, although, as is the case 
with illumination, the average person is sel- 
dom definitely conscious of this subtle, sub- 
jective influence as the real reason for his 
liking or not liking this or that particular 

room. 

That each color has its psychological ef- 
fect, and that that effect produces different 
moods in the persons under its influence, is a 
matter of general information. Pure red, 
for instance, is in some measure exciting, pure 
blue is in some measure consciously elevating, 
while pure yellow is cheerful, natural and 



16 HOME FURNISHING 

may be the most spiritual of colors. It may 
be said then that pure red and pure blue are 
not good colors for large surfaces in deco- 
rating, as they are too positive in their effect 
upon us, and that pure yellow, particularly 
in dark or cold rooms, makes a cheerful back- 
ground, although all colors need a certain 
modifying or conventionalizing before they 
can serve our purpose in beautifying the 
home. 

I am indebted to Mr. C. F. Clifford for 
the scheme of the little diagram here illus- 
trated. It shows clearly how the various 
color combinations are made, and by its use 
one should find the selection of the proper 
colors for any given room a comparatively 
easy matter. 

In the center of the circle we find the pri- 
mary colors: red, yellow, and blue. These 
are the only colors that cannot be made by 
the combination of other colors. 









SA6& 



18 GOOD TASTE IN 

There are numerous complicated, scientific 
theories and systems of color, dealing princi- 
pally with light rays, which contradict this 
latter statement of combining, but, for the 
practical purposes of decoration, it is correct. 

To resume, the second circle shows violet, 
orange, and green. These colors are made 
by admixture of the primaries : red and blue 
making violet, red and yellow making orange, 
blue and yellow making green. By this same 
law of admixture the third circle shows rus- 
set, citron, and slate, while the fourth shows 
plum, buff, and sage. By drawing a wedge 
from the center of the circle to the boundary 
lines of one of the outer bands (see example 
on diagram) you will include all the colors 
that can safely be used in one room, and, 
further, you will include them in approxi- 
mately the right proportions. 

For example, let us assume that we wish 
to decorate a room whose prevailing color 



HOME FURNISHING 



19 



we have decided shall be buff. By drawing a 
wedge from the center of the diagram to the 
bounding lines of "buff" we find that we 
have included a little red and yellow, some 
orange and russet and citron. We are to 
apply these to a living room the woodwork 
of which is dark mahogany. We would ap- 
ply the buff — the prevailing color — to the 
walls, the russet to the floor ; we would light- 
en the buff with a frieze of orange, and the 
russet with a carpet of citron, and we would 
bring out the bright spots with a lamp or a 
leaded window in which pure red and yellow 
would bring the whole scheme into relief. 

This combination is founded on one pri- 
mary color, yellow, and consequently all the 
colors used belong to the same "family." 
The colors in combinations of this kind all 
have the same general effect upon a room, in 
this case cheerful and warming; because of 
this, they are not prominent in themselves, 




22 GOOD TASTE IN 

always best to keep the combination of colors 
all of one family, because then they subordi- 
nate themselves to the life that goes on with- 
in the room, and create the needed atmos- 
phere of attractive surroundings without at- 
tracting attention to themselves. 

Does this explanation seem complicated? 
It may because color is an exceedingly diffi- 
cult subject to put into words. If it does, 
follow the diagram closely, and read it a 
second time, then, remembering what has 
been said about the combinations taking the 
characteristics of the foundation color, see 
how your proposed scheme compares with 
the following. 

Yellow is an expanding color, that is, it 
reflects light more readily than any other 
color, and seemingly diffuses more light than 
it receives, and, for that reason, makes ob- 
jects that it colors seem larger than they are. 
Red is a positive color. It reflects almost 



HOME FURNISHING 23 

the exact quantity of light that it receives, 
and objects that it colors "hold" their true 
values. Blue is a contracting color. It re- 
flects less light than it receives, and conse- 
quently the objects that it colors seem smaller 
than they are. 

If you will carefully follow the two simple 
color laws stated above you cannot go very 
far astray in your selections. 

In deciding on the combination of colors 
to be used in any room consider the size of 
the room, the number of windows, their size, 
and the point of the compass upon which 
they open. Think of the purpose for which 
the room is to be used, and what mood or 
atmosphere you wish to create, and think of 
its relation to the adjoining room. Do not 
decide upon something that only half pleases 
you. The chances are you will have to live 
with the color you choose for a long time, 
and there is nothing you can do to a room 



2 4 



HOME FURNISHING 



that will be so hard to overcome if you do not 
get what you really want. On the other 
hand, a really good color scheme will many 
times save a room that is not pleasing in its 
arrangement or lighting, and that is not well 
furnished. 

When you have found the scheme that you 
think is right stick to it, and carry your idea 
out to the end. Many a good original plan 
is spoiled because of changing ideas. Of 
course, a decorative scheme will "grow," and 
new ideas will be continually added, but, es- 
pecially in the matter of your color combi- 
nation, stay with your original idea to the 
end. 








CHAPTER II 



WALL COVERINGS 



Harmonious color arrangements are, as I 
have endeavored to point out in the first 
chapter, readily determined through a clear 
understanding of certain simple laws, and are 
absolutely essential to satisfying decoration. 
Too much emphasis cannot be laid on a pru- 
dent selection of color, for, when combined 
with harmonious lines and patterns, it forms 
a most important and often neglected ele- 
ment in the house beautiful. 

Because of this our first definite impres- 
sion, as we step into a room, will depend 
largely upon the walls, their color and their 
lines, for the walls are the background upon 
which the whole scheme depends for atmos- 
phere. The attractive qualities of the most 
25 



24 



HOME FURNISHING 




that will be so hard to overcome if you do not 
get what you really want. On the other 
hand, a really good color scheme will many 
times save a room that is not pleasing in its 
arrangement or lighting, and that is not well 
furnished. 

When you have found the scheme that you 
think is right stick to it, and carry your idea 
out to the end. Many a good original plan 
is spoiled because of changing ideas. Of 
course, a decorative scheme will "grow," and 
new ideas will be continually added, but, es- 
pecially in the matter of your color combi- 
nation, stay with your original idea to the 
end. 



CHAPTER II 



WALL COVERINGS 



Harmonious color arrangements are, as I 
have endeavored to point out in the first 
chapter, readily determined through a clear 
understanding of certain simple laws, and are 
absolutely essential to satisfying decoration. 
Too much emphasis cannot be laid on a pru- 
dent selection of color, for, when combined 
with harmonious lines and patterns, it forms 
a most important and often neglected ele- 
ment in the house beautiful. 

Because of this our first definite impres- 
sion, as we step into a room, will depend 
largely upon the walls, their color and their 
lines, for the walls are the background upon 
which the whole scheme depends for atmos- 
phere. The attractive qualities of the most 
25 



26 



GOOD TASTE IN 




gorgeous of draperies, the richest of floor 
coverings, or the handsomest of furniture are 
greatly weakened if these foundation ele- 
ments are not carefully cared for. 

But in our diligence to secure the right 
color for the walls, we must not forget line 
and pattern in the wall coverings and drap- 
eries. 

We have all seen rooms where the furni- 
ture and fixture details have been carefully 
carried out, the color is apparently right, but 
the room lacks effectiveness; lacks "life." In 
nine cases out of ten this is due to an im- 
perfect understanding of the value of lines 
and patterns, and of the tricky optical illu- 
sions which they create for our mind's eye. 

I have illustrated this article with two lit- 
tle sketches which are identical in size, in 
shape, and in the arrangement of the doors 
and windows. The only difference is in the 
use of lines in the decoration of the walls, 



HOME FURNISHING 27 

and in the hanging of the draperies, and yet 
see how radically different they are in appear- 



ance. 



You will readily see, by glancing at the 
first one, marked (a), that in a room where 
the lines of the draperies and the stripes of 
the wall covering are perpendicular to the 
floor, the wall spaces are apparently con- 
tracted and the ceiling apparently height- 
ened. 

In the second illustration, marked (b), I 
have placed a wide frieze and a rather high 
wainscoting, leaving a dado (the space be- 
tween the wainscoting and the frieze) of me- 
dium width. In this way the wall of the 
room is divided into three wide bands of dif- 
ferent widths. This seemingly lowers the ceil- 
ing, and seemingly lengthens the wall space. 
There is also a tiny arch above the door, ap- 
parently increasing its width. By draping 
the windows with more freely flowing lines 







Pi' ~ 



30 GOOD TASTE IN 

I have gained the general effect of a much 
larger and more commodious room, while, of 
course, no actual change of dimensions has 
taken place. 

Recently I had occasion to assist the owner 
in decorating an apartment, which devel- 
oped into one of the most charming that I 
have ever seen. There these deceptive illu- 
sions were used to great advantage. The 
ceilings were unusually low, and the rooms 
none too large, but one would not have no- 
ticed structural shortcomings when the work 
was completed. For wall coverings we used 
fabrics and papers of pale, indefinite tones of 
gray and rose and blue, with everywhere 
a barely noticeable perpendicular stripe. The 
draperies were hung in long straight pleats 
down to the floor, and the pictures were 
placed just above the line of the eye. In 
selecting the furniture we avoided large, 
high or heavy pieces, and this helped to give 



HOME FURNISHING 31 

us the sense of size and height for which we 
were striving. It was a revelation to see 
that so much could be done by applying the 
simple laws of line and mass. 

Our eyes are curious, lazy and easily satis- 
fied, and they will follow the path of least 
resistance and the greatest interest. In the 
room where the perpendicular stripes are 
used in the wall covering, and where the 
draperies also follow the perpendicular ten- 
dency, the eye will simply follow their long 
lines from floor to ceiling, and subconsciously 
we assume that the room is high and narrow. 

Where the room is divided into the three 
wide bands, as in the second illustration (b), 
the eye, following the paths of the bands 
about the room, gathers the impression that 
the room is long and low. This tendency to 
follow the line and to subconsciously measure 
it is what gives the apparent sizableness to 
the arched door and the flowing draperies. 



V- 



GOOD TASTE IN 



Of course, our reason corrects these impres- 
sions to such an extent that we do not go far 
astray, but it is very useful in decoration, for 
we seldom bother ourselves about the actual 
facts of decorative impressions. It is the im- 
pression that counts. This last sentence ap- 
plies only to the optical illusions which may 
be created by the use of good line treatment, 
and not to the use of imitation woods, false 
finishes or any of the many other pretenses 
so often used. In the truly tasteful home, 
the imitation is never to be tolerated. If 
you cannot afford walnut buy a cheaper 
wood, and treat it honestly; never cheat your- 
self with shams in the home. Much to its 
detriment the world is filled with shams; 
don't add to them. 

But all this is apart from our topic; in con- 
sidering the value of the design, I have dis- 
covered a most lucid and sensible paragraph 
among the practical observations of Helen 




HOME FURNISHING 33 

Binkard Young, professor of Household Arts 
at Cornell University: 

"Flourishing, muscular patterns may look 
ever so well in the piece a yard square, but 
they become completely overpowering when 
a hundred times repeated on the wall. Even 
when such a selection eventually forces one 
to remove it, it usually makes room for an- 
other paper differing only in pattern and not 
in principle. What we need is a simple and 
more subtle design." 

Nearly everyone has had experience with 
this bold Roger variety, and perhaps descrip- 
tions and illustrations of a few types which 
are good in principle may help to clarify 
the point. To continue : 

"All indications of texture by dots, dashes, 
lines or hairy flecks of color produce plain 
papers of nice quality. A great variety of 
these can be secured at almost any price. 

"Since a wall is a flat surface, flat designs 



34 GOOD TASTE IN 

should be represented, that is, they should lie 
tight to the wall. The most logical types 
depict only two dimensions, length and 
breadth, not thickness. All shaded mould- 
ings or lifelike forms are false in principle. 
A floral paper should suggest to us the idea 
of a rose or other flower adapted for use on 
a flat surface; not a confusion of lifelike 
flowers apparently bulging from the wall. 
Natural roses scattered over the wall, or an 
actually pictured grape vine crawling through 
an actually pictured trellis, is not good deco- 
ration. Foliage papers, soft in color and 
indefinite in design, are excellent when used 
with plain paper, panels or a tinted surface, 
high in the room above the line of the eye. 
"Striped papers are good if the contrast is 
not too pronounced nor the stripes too wide. 
There is usually a splendid selection of 
these. Geometric all-over patterns or con- 
ventional flower designs in one or two tones 



HOME FURNISHING 35 

of the same or harmonizing colors are good. 

"An all-over pattern which connects or in- 
terlaces is usually more pleasing than one 
composed of separate spots. Most scroll 
patterns are frivolous, meaningless, and are 
generally bad. Large medallion or shield de- 
signs with a scrolly outline form a common 
type of distressing pattern, made simply to 
sell. The figures in any pattern should not 
be too far apart, or we are surprised at each 
repetition and never get used to the idea. 
Scenic borders are often good if not too realis- 
tic. As about seventy-five per cent, of fig- 
ured wall papers are on the wrong principle, 
it is wise, when in doubt about the adapta- 
bility of a design, to choose a plain wall." 

While, fortunately, paper is far from 
being the only desirable wall covering, Miss 
Young's excellent advice will be found of 
great help in ascertaining the value of a 
design in any material. 



36 



GOOD TASTE IN 



m 



Damasks make a very satisfying covering, 
for where the design is given by the direction 
of the threads, the play of light and shadow 
in the warp and woof makes a most pleasing 
and luxurious treatment. 

Plain or delicately figured silks and tiny 
patterned armures have much the same ef- 
fect as damask, and considering that any of 
these fabrics can be taken from the wall, 
cleaned and replaced, they are not too ex- 
pensive for even the modestly supplied purse. 

Tapestry, except in houses of the princely 
sort, is not in the best taste. This is un- 
fortunate because there is something about 
the tapestry-hung wall that is very charm- 
ing, but woven, as they were, to cover vast 
spaces of unsightly masonry in wind-swept 
palaces, they are much too heavy and 
"clothy" for our plastered, steam-heated, and 
wind-tight houses of to-day. 

Plain walls may be secured by many means 

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HOME FURNISHING 37 

and at almost any price. When plain painted 
walls are decided upon, however, it is not 
so much a matter of lay knowledge as it is 
of honest painting. 

After deciding upon your color and upon 
the finish — whether it is to be glossy or dull 
— find a painter that you can trust and let 
him advise you as to the number of paint 
coats your individual walls require. Plaster 
and woodwork conditions vary so much that 
it is practically impossible to tell what will 
be needed without seeing the exact conditions. 

Most painters and decorators will be hon- 
est and are anxious to do their work well 
if they are allowed to do it, but if they are 
not given a fair price for their work or if 
the client is insistent upon the wrong wall 
treatment, they are compelled either to do 
unsatisfactory work or let it go to someone 
else. Few painters are inclined to take the 
latter course. 



CHAPTER III 



FLOOR COVERINGS 







In furnishing the home we turn naturally 
from the selection of the wall coverings and 
woodwork color to the choosing of an appro- 
priate and pleasing floor treatment. Here 
we find ourselves confronted by conditions 
which do not prevail in any other stage of 
this work. In wall coverings, in furniture, 
and even in draperies we find certain well 
prescribed rules which are of great help, and 
beyond the outer boundaries of which it is 
difficult to venture without violation of that 
quality which, for want of a better word, we 
call good taste. Certain types of furniture, 
for example, are built for dining-room 
use. They serve that purpose admirably 
and are out of place when used for any- 
thing else ; but with floor treatments and cov- 

38 



* ■-.*.< »-v*v«^i-6- w»^»A JL+mamXJU^ 



HOME FURNISHING 39 

erings, the current "difference of opinion" 
seems to have established a precedent of free- 
dom which is difficult to formulate. One 
decorator uses no covering at all, treating the 
bare floor with a rich, dull tone and keeping 
it in a strong mellow glow by constant wax- 
ing and rubbing, while another authority of 
equally high standing completely covers it 
with a carpet and adds loose rugs to break 
the monotony of surface. But even here, 
hampered as we are by a lack of more definite 
decorative laws, we find that certain govern- 
ing principles are at work. 

Let us begin with what we see first, and 
that is color. As the floor is the actual or 
physical base of the room, the color should 
frankly acknowledge this fact, or the room 
will have, in a greater or less degree, that 
confused feeling which is so commonly no- 
ticed where dark walls are supported by a 
light floor. In order to accentuate this honest 



40 GOOD TASTE IN 

acknowledgment and to bring out the 
strength of the room, the color of the floor 
should be a shade of the wall or a shade of its 
contrasting complement. (For the purposes 
of this article, a shade is a color formed by 
the color and an addition of black.) This, 
as one will readily see, decreases the luminos- 
ity of the floor tone and consequently lessens 
its ability to attract attention. This, to re- 
turn to our original statement, keeps the 
floor as a base upon which a natural, logical 
system of decoration can be built, fulfilling 
that axiom of William Morris which con- 
tends that the room should be at rest with 
the ceiling, walls and floor, so treated as to 
give a sense of freedom, shelter and complete- 
ness terminating in the floor as the base. 

Directly in this connection is one impor- 
tant point. In preparing a hardwood floor 
most decorators stop just where the real work 
should begin ; that is, they stop when the last 



HOME FURNISHING 41 

coat of varnish or polish is applied, and this 
is where the rubbing should begin; for a 
shiny surface is an abomination, and should 
never be tolerated in a wood floor. Metals, 
stone or glass are legitimately shiny materi- 
als, but woods are not, and should be treated 
with a luminous, dull finish which accentu- 
ates the fine qualities of the material. This 
is a point which I wish to carefully empha- 
size, as it is one which is generally misunder- 
stood, and one upon which people are so 
often misdirected. Use materials in the 
manner that will bring out their natural 
qualities. So much decoration so often disre- 
gards this axiom that one can hardly repeat it 
too often. A floor should never directly re- 
flect objects standing on it, for if they do it 
weakens the whole effect. No matter how 
much careful treatment is given to walls or 
furniture the good effect is lessened by this 
glaring reflection everywhere noticeable. 



42 GOOD TASTE IN 

Floors of tile and marble are seldom used 
in small houses or apartments to-day, and it 
seems unnecessary to say anything about 
them, for when they are used, the mason may 
generally be relied upon for his good advice. 
In the dining-room of the country house, 
however, and upon the breakfast porch of 
the city house, we often find that the red 
quarry tile, commonly known as "Welsh 
Cottage" tile, gives a very cool, clean atmos- 
phere to the room, and is in excellent taste. 

Broadly speaking, a contrasting comple- 
ment is better to use than a shade of the same 
color, as it gives the room more character 
and more of that quality which we call 
"snap." Take, for instance, a case where 
the walls of a room are sage green. We have 
our choice of the two contrasting comple- 
mentary colors, plum and buff, and the si- 
multaneous harmony, another shade of green. 
In a small room a shade of the buff will be 



HOME FURNISHING 43 

found most desirable as it contains more yel- 
low, and is, therefore, more expansive in its 
effect; while in a large room a shade of the 
plum, which has more blue and which is 
therefore less expansive, will be found, under 
normal conditions, to be preferable, while if 
a shade of sage had been chosen it will read- 
ily be seen that less character would be the 
result. The contrasting colors give that 
strong, definite element which holds the room 
in place. This is perhaps a rather compli- 
cated explanation, but if it is given a little 
careful study it will rapidly clarify itself. 

As a concrete example of this, let us make 
a mind picture of an apartment, harmoni- 
ous in its arrangements, where no fabric cov- 
ering of any kind is used on the floor. The 
walls are done in dull citron, the ceiling 
is a tint of the same color, while the floors 
are of a dull, rich brown, carefully rubbed 
and waxed. The only covering on the 



44 GOOD TASTE IN 

floor is one exquisite leopard skin just in 
front of the large open fireplace. The fur- 
niture is all in light semi-mission and fin- 
ished in a slightly lighter tone than the floor. 
The chairs are fitted with heavy Spanish 
leather, and upon the long table a small Per- 
sian rug in softly brilliant tones of mulberry, 
gold and black, lies, as a base for the lamp, 
whose sparkling mosaic shade is made up 
of bits of leaded glass in the primary and 
secondary colors. 

Here we have a good example of a sim- 
ple scheme which gives the keynote of all 
successful floor color, for it will point out 
an instance of the floor that "holds" — to use 
a technical term of decoration — in other 
words, to repeat, the room is at rest with the 
strong complementary of the floor knitting 
the whole arrangement into a single definite 
scheme. 

This brings us to the question of designs 



HOME FURNISHING 45 

in carpets and rugs, and the arrangement of 
rugs upon the floor. 

Before going further, let us come to a clear 
understanding of what is meant by the terms 
"carpet" and "rug," lest we fall into the 
common error of discussing something the 
vocabulary of which is not altogether clear. 
In this article a carpet will mean a fabric 
fitted over a "pad" or "filling," tacked to 
the floor, and completely covering it. A rug 
will be a fabric not fitted over a "padding" 
and not completely covering the floor. It 
may or may not be tacked. 

In the arrangement of rugs and their effect 
upon decoration we find ourselves using much 
the same rules as we did in selecting wall cov- 
erings, and for much the same reasons. In 
a small room the use of a large rug, with 
the border of woodwork showing all around, 
makes the room seem smaller, as the eye, in- 
terested in the small spot, makes the sub- 



46 GOOD TASTE IN 

conscious deduction that the room is small. 
It is better to use a few rugs, placing them 
at the farthest points. This will give the 
effect of width and size, and help carry out 
a balance which strengthens the effect of the 
entire scheme. (See illustrations a and b.) 
Should you prefer carpet, use one which is 
plain and carry out the arrangement with 
rugs placed on the carpet. The use of nar- 
row rugs placed crosswise in a narrow room 
will give the room width, as the eye fol- 
lows the strips of color to their extremities 
and gives the effect of width. 

It is rather difficult to formulate any defi- 
nite rules upon the subject of designs, as we 
are again confronted by the hard-working 
"difference in taste," but it may be said that 
in the best of decorative schemes the de- 
signs should be subordinated to the general 
effect of floor treatment, which is to keep 
the floor the base of the room, decoratively 



HOME FURNISHING 47 

speaking. Deep (well into the center from 
the edge) complicated borders may be safely 
used on the carpet of any large room, par- 
ticularly in rooms magnificently furnished, 
but we should avoid borders and pattern car- 
pets or rugs (unless in small "all-over" pat- 
terns) in small rooms, or even in those of 
moderate size, because they tend to make 
the room look smaller and are seldom restful 
to the eye. The room will always seem 
crowded when pattern carpets or rugs with 
borders are used, for even when the walls 
are plain the eye finds little chance to rest, 
continually returning, as it will, to the intri- 
cate and unusual designs covering the floor. 
To go back over our deductions, large de- 
signs and borders lessen the effect of size, 
while plain floors or plain carpet, particu- 
larly in shades of the luminous colors, tend 
to increase the apparent size of the room. 
Large, intricate, or colorful designs tend to 




o- 









50 GOOD TASTE IN 

clutter the room, and, except in unusual 
cases, to weaken the decorative scheme, bring- 
ing the floor up to the eye when it should be 
kept down as a base. 

Next we come to the question of deciding 
between rugs and carpets. It may be well 
here, before going further, to frankly admit 
that this is almost entirely a question of 
fashion. There are unanswerable arguments 
to be brought forward in defense of either, 
and, colloquially speaking, it will be found 
that every decorator has "an axe to grind" 
in this matter. It may not be amiss, how- 
ever, to set down some of the arguments 
which are used, allowing the reader to make 
his own choice as to which school he will fol- 
low. When carpets are used, there is the 
advantage of being able to hold your decora- 
tive scheme more closely as a unit, as the col- 
or is not broken by the bare floor; with rugs 
the effect is scattered, and it is difficult, with 



HOME FURNISHING 51 

the confused atmosphere which rugs tend to 
give, to hold the scheme together. On the 
other hand, carpets are not easily cleaned, 
dust accumulates in the corners, and they are 
not hygienic. In this age of complicated 
existence, when every minute counts, I feel 
that rugs— particularly large rugs— serve 
practically all the purposes of carpets — pro- 
viding, of course, one has good floors, care- 
fully stained and rubbed. 

A word on qualities. This is a point upon 
which a buyer must trust almost entirely to 
the integrity of the firm with which he is 
dealing. It is difficult to tell how well a rug 
will wear, or how it will look until after it is 
on the floor and has been used. Thus in buy- 
ing rugs select, first, a firm and a salesman 
whom you can trust. Tell him that you have 
no prejudices as regards this or that make, 
but further tell him that you will hold him 
absolutely responsible for the durability of 



52 HOME FURNISHING 

the selection. In this way you will, under 
normal conditions, get practically what you 
want. The majority of salesmen are hon- 
est, if they are allowed to be honest, and I 
have yet to know a reputable firm that will 
deliberately misrepresent the quality of its 
merchandise when frankly and pleasantly 
asked to recommend, and to guarantee their 
merchandise to wear under all ordinary con- 
ditions. 

Just one point here may not be amiss. Do 
not be misled by the double-faced rugs which 
may be recommended by the seemingly ob- 
vious, "When one side wears out all you 
have to do is to turn it over." The side 
facing the floor will wear out just as rap- 
idly, if not more rapidly, than the side under 
foot, and when you turn it over you will be 
disappointed to find that it will be equally 
shabby on both sides. 



CHAPTER IV 

ORIENTAL RUGS 

To attempt, in the short space of one of 
these chapters, to present anything like a 
comprehensive treatise on the subject of Ori- 
ental floor coverings would be as preposter- 
ous as it would be impossible. We will have 
to content ourselves with — to use a happy 
colloquialism — "hitting the high places," 
trusting to arouse the reader to further study 
of the subject — one of great interest. 

There is probably no article of household 
use of which the average layman is so ill 
informed as floor coverings, as a whole, and 
Oriental floor coverings in particular. The 
peculiar character of the business of their 
manufacture, dealing as it does with indi- 
vidual factors upon which it is almost im- 
possible to place a standard, gives the whole 
53 



54 



GOOD TASTE IN 



a mysterious atmosphere which brings forth 
many a dollar for purely fictitious values. 
The number of knots to the square inch, the 
method of their tying, the subtle effect of 
this or that dye or process upon the wool, and 
the intricate designs of the Orient are fac- 
tors of unknown valuation to all but a fa- 
vored few. 

How then are we to divide the truth from 
the fiction of the salesman's glib tongue*? 
How is it possible for the busy American 
to know, without much careful study, what 
he is getting when he does not know even 
the names of the many products, not to con- 
sider the thousand and one details which go 
into rug production and marketing 4 ? These 
are the questions that I shall try to answer 
plainly, as regards Oriental weaves. 

From a standpoint of individual beauty, 
and fascinating interest, it is doubtful if 
there be any product of a civilized people 

a 




HOME FURNISHING 55 

which can compare with the Oriental hang- 
ings and coverings universally used in this 
country as rugs. Laboriously woven by 
hand — for even in this commercial age they 
are still hand work — representing weeks, and 
months, and years of patient labor, reflect- 
ing the changing moods and impressions of 
the weaver, veritable written pages of his- 
tory, their long life, the wonderful colors — 
all this has a hold upon the imagination 
which is undeniable, and all this is true, and 
all this will be offered in defense of the 
Oriental fabric by its admirers. But, in 
the well furnished American home, far, far 
removed from the original setting of tropi- 
cal sky and barbaric splendor, have these 
weaves a place 1 ? This is a serious question 
in decoration and one which will, I am more 
than sure, be answered most emphatically in 
the negative by eight out of ten modern pro- 
fessional decorators. Instantly, I find my 



56 GOOD TASTE IN 

reader on the defensive, and quite naturally, 
for so much has been written and said about 
the manifold advantages, and so little about 
the manifold disadvantages of Oriental rugs, 
that it seems hazardous to argue that they 
are not beyond all question the most de- 
sirable of floor coverings. 

What of their long life*? What of their 
soft, mellow coverings'? What of their cap- 
tivating histories and marvelous designs'? 
Are these not factors worthy to give them a 
place in every modern home'? Let us con- 
sider these questions, with which every deco- 
rator has to deal, in the order of their asking. 

The Oriental rug is not a fad ; it has come 
to stay, and upon its long life its eventual 
success will depend. There is a peculiar 
quality of strength in the wools of the sheep 
and goats that roam the deserts and moun- 
tains of the Orient, which gives to the rugs 
a toughness as of rawhide. This, combined 



HOME FURNISHING 57 

with the patient hand labor of the Oriental, 
insures to us a rug that will outlast anything 
of European or domestic weaving. 

Into this question of lasting quality comes 
the much discussed, and generally misun- 
derstood, question of "washing." By the 
dealer in European and domestic products 
"washing" is made to appear as a process 
ruinous in the extreme, whereas by the dealer 
in Oriental weaves it is very likely to be dis- 
missed with a none too enlightening answer. 
"Washing" is a word like Humpty Dump- 
ty's "impenetrability" in "Alice in Wonder- 
land," for when they use it, it means just 
what they want it to mean — no more, no 
less. It may mean washing in clear running 
water, in which case it is done simply to 
remove superfluous dye, softening the col- 
ors, mellowing the texture and cleansing it 
for reasons hygienic, obviously making the 
rug more desirable in every way; for on ar- 



58 GOOD TASTE IN 

riving in this country the best Orientals are 
brilliant in color, and, as they are woven 
entirely by hand, are none too clean; or it 
may mean a chemical "washing." In the 
former case absolutely no harm is done, but 
in the latter the rug loses many years of 
its life, if it is not virtually ruined in the 
process. By one chemical process the rug 
is placed upon an inclined platform and a 
strong solution of chloride of lime is al- 
lowed to trickle over it. When the colors 
are sufficiently subdued, the rug is damp- 
ened with glycerine and ironed with hot irons 
to give it luster. This is only one of a hun- 
dred methods of supplying the American de- 
mand for "antiques," for that is the sole 
purpose of a chemically washed rug. 

Because of these conditions always buy 
Oriental rugs from an establishment whose 
word is backed by an unquestionable repu- 
tation. 



HOME FURNISHING 59 

Apropos of the subject of neo-antiques, it 
should be remembered that as great caution 
should be observed with the rug dealer who 
weaves beautiful stories around his wares as 
would be observed with the salesman in a fur- 
niture store who indulged in giddy nights of 
rhetoric when selling you a Grand Rapids 
reproduction of a Colonial table. Intelligent 
people who would instantly leave a shop if 
told that Abraham Lincoln had signed the 
Declaration of Independence upon the table 
they were considering, will sit entranced 
while being told equally preposterous yarns 
by some rugman. This may seem exag- 
gerated, but here is an excerpt from a recent 
booklet issued as "educational advertising" 
by a well known dealer in Orientals : 

"One may sit by the fireside and consider 
the skill and hardships endured in the mak- 
ing of the mysteriously patterned rug that 
lies before it. 



60 GOOD TASTE IN 

"Was it the most valued possession of 
some swarthy fanatic, the confidant of his 
daily supplication to Allah? Did it grace 
the tent of some desert conqueror, soft drap- 
ery to enrich the crude bleakness of his tent? 
Was it the hearth rug of some dusky bandit, 
safe haven for the wandering travelers? 
What furtive guest found sanctuary by plac- 
ing foot upon it, thus turning fierce pursuit 
to smiling hospitality?" 

Now, as a matter of actual fact, the Orient 
is, and has been for some twenty or thirty 
years, stripped bare of its personal pieces. 
There was a time, years ago, when it was 
possible for an expert to go from village 
to village picking up a rare antique here and 
there. Those days are gone, never to re- 
turn. The personal pieces that were picked 
up in that manner have found their place in 
private and public collections of connoisseurs 
where they have assumed values that com- 






HOME FURNISHING 6r 

pare with the values of "old master" paint- 
ings. 

The people of the Orient are poor, dread- 
fully poor. They have few profitable indus- 
tries, and rug weaving, which is the source 
of livelihood for so many, has been com- 
mercialized to a nicety that it may reap the 
greatest possible revenue. Let us then con- 
cede that the Oriental rug is a commercial 
product, without qualification, and that it 
must finally rest upon its material merits 
as any other commercial article, and not 
upon the filmy foundation of elaborate and 
fanciful yarns, no matter how charmingly 
they may be played upon. 

Now, in the matter of color, we come to 
the Oriental rug's subtlest and most im- 
portant fault. In pursuing this phase of 
our subject, I hope that my reader will re- 
member that I am speaking entirely from 
a standpoint of household decorations, for, 



62 GOOD TASTE IN 

obviously, from the standpoint of individual 
beauty, as I said before, the colors of the 
Oriental fabrics are of a character not 
equalled by any fabric. There is a certain 
quiet grandeur about these glorious fabrics 
which is unquestioned, but as a foundation 
for our constantly simplifying furnishings, 
they are far from the best taste. To quote 
a forceful summary of the master decora- 
tor, William Morris: "Each room should be 
at rest with the ceiling, walls, and floor so 
treated as to give a sense of shelter, free- 
dom and completeness, terminating in the 
floor at the base." Where the Oriental is 
used, the truths in this principle are openly 
ignored. The soft, glowing colors of the 
rug are the first which meet the eye, upon 
entering the room, not as the foundation, 
but, excepting in extreme exceptions, as 
the most important feature overshadowing 
all else, entirely out of right proportions with 



HOME FURNISHING 63 

the other furniture. A rug is a rug, not 
a wonderful picture, and it should be so 
treated. If one's fancy turns to these strik- 
ing colors, there are sufficient places in the 
home where they may be properly used to 
great advantage: as coverings for large 
chairs, as coverings for divans or davenports, 
as hangings, or frankly as pictures upon the 
wall, for that is just what they are, Orien- 
tal pictures. 

There is a tendency in Americans to fol- 
low the fashions of Europe, and when, as a 
fad, Europe accepted the Oriental rug for 
a short time, particularly in the great stu- 
dios of European artists, it found its way 
into the American home and there the crafty 
Oriental has kept it, catering to our love of 
fancy tales and antiques with an adven- 
turous past. All of this pertains to a large 
majority of the rugs upon the market to-day, 
but I am glad to say that they will even- 



64 GOOD TASTE IN 

tually be a thing of the past, for a new era 
of the Oriental rug is to be with us shortly, 
and before many years all Oriental weav- 
ers will be weaving with an eye to Western 
conditions — as one great firm is doing to-day. 
Combinations which can be used with good 
effect in the Occidental home will be easy to 
secure; and the unhappy blendings which go 
with nothing that is ours will be a thing of 
the past, and the terra cotta red Bokhara and 
the mahogany furniture will cease to be 
placed in the same room, and those whose 
business it is to make homes pleasant will 
surely rejoice, for quality and attractiveness 
can be secured in the same piece, and one will 
not have to choose between good decoration 
and good economy. 

Lastly we are confronted by the question 
of design, and while of considerable im- 
portance, more latitude of personal judg- 
ment may be safely used here, remembering 



HOME FURNISHING 65 

always that large medallions tend to make 
a room seem smaller, while small scattered 
patterns and plain centers tend to make a 
room look larger. Stripes or geometric fig- 
ures running the long way of the rug, give 
the impression of a longer room, and vice 
versa. As to the designs of the Orient 
themselves, they are to the vast majority 
of Occidentals meaningless, except for a 
certain charm in the flow of line and struc- 
ture of form of all things odd and unfa- 
miliar. In moderation these add somewhat 
to the grace of a modern room, but they 
should be chosen with great care, and only 
after one is perfectly sure that they are ac- 
tually what is desired to fill the spot, for 
considering the expense involved, an Ori- 
ental that does not truly appeal is a very 
poor thing economically and decoratively 
speaking, for one must live with it a long, 
long time. 



66 HOME FURNISHING 

In buying Orientals three little rules will 
help to test the salesman's knowledge, and 
give one a key to the actual truth of his state- 
ments. 

The designs on a Persian rug are always 
conventionalized flowers and birds. 

The designs on a Turkish rug are always 
geometrical figures. 

No genuine or "personal antique piece," 
that is, a rug with a history, can be purchased 
in the open market for less than five dollars 
a square foot. 

If the salesman's statements conflict with 
these little rules, investigate his proposition 
before you purchase from him. People have 
found pearls of great value in oysters on 
the half shell, but it doesn't happen often. 

In the foregoing suggestions it has been 
impossible to deal with any of the types in 
detail, but the principles set forth are of the 
widest application. 



CHAPTER V 



LIGHTING FIXTURES 



The value of good distribution of light 
is not generally realized because it is a fac- 
tor of such subtle forcefulness that we are 
seldom definitely conscious of it. When a 
room is quietly and effectively illuminated 
we feel that the room is comfortable, and 
we know that we enjoy being in it. In the 
same indefinite way we avoid harsh and in- 
effective illumination without better reason 
than that we "can't just get comfortable in 
that room." 

Strange as it may seem, bad illumination ± 
is seldom the result of insufficient candle 
power, but of poor planning. It is by no 
means an uncommon thing to have heavy 
lighting bills for current without the ex- 

67 







C^AA»-e-^~ 



\fr/j. t 4. C »< K .«. t w 







0) J&Vt/V\AAA\4VMA^ 



68 HOME FURNISHING 

pected compensation of pleasingly illumi- 
nated rooms. 

In planning for lighting that will follow 
those natural laws of the home, of which 
restfulness and comfort are the guiding 
words, we must first consider the character of 
the rooms to be illuminated, and the part 
which they play in the life of the home. 
That we keep this idea of each room's pecu- 
liar characteristics and uses in mind I have 
prepared the table of "groups," which ap- 
pears on the opposite page. 

Electric light will be used as a medium of 
discussion throughout the following. I am 
not in any way presupposing that electricity 
is the final triumph of illumination, but it is 
in general use, and has a certain adaptability 
not found in gas or oils. 

By referring to our plate illustration it 
will be found that the rooms of the home 
have been divided into three general groups, 






't& 



ACTIVITY 

MAJOR-SYSTEfl 
.^EfU- t "DIRE CT 



O'rl F O R.T- 
jOR-5Y5Ten 



5 1 twice 

MAJOB--SY3TH1 
inDlRECT 




70 GOOD TASTE IN 

according to their uses, and that below the 
title of each group is given its major system 
of illumination. 

Until very recently direct illumination 
was the only major system that could be 
used in the average home, but with the ad- 
vent of powerful and economical illumi- 
nants, like the tungsten lamp, the indirect 
and semi-indirect methods have come into 
common use, and, as is so often true of popu- 
lar innovations, each has been hailed as the 
panacea of lighting ills. However, an im- 
partial and scientific study of the subject will 
reveal three definite fields of usefulness, and 
the peculiar fitness of one or the other of 
the methods in each of these fields. In con- 
sidering the rooms to be illuminated I shall 
try to show just why this or that particular 
method is more suitable in this or that room. 

The living room, as the center of family 
life, commands our first attention. Here, as 



HOME FURNISHING 



71 



in all of the rooms of the "comfort" group, 
we find that the soft gradations of light, 
from brilliant source to deepest shadow, can 
only be gained through the medium of di- 
rect illumination. For baffling psychological 
reasons this gradation of light has been 
found to produce an atmosphere of quiet 
dignity wholly lacking under the shadowless 
reflected rays of the indirect or the semi- 
indirect method. 

In the rooms of this group, general or 
overhead illumination lights, placed in clus- 
ters near or at the ceiling, may be used in 
combination with table or floor lamps. In 
the lighting of the library, or the more for- 
mal rooms of the home, wall brackets are 
useful, and when of unobtrusive design, they 
are very effective as spots of decoration. 

In selecting a chandelier or ceiling light 
for this group of rooms great care should be 
used to secure one which can be hung well 




J).AA.fcC-\ 








72 GOOD TASTE IN 

above the range of vision, and thoroughly 
out of a tall man's reach. Nothing is so 
ungainly and generally ineffective as the 
chandelier placed at such a height as to be 
endangered by an unguarded motion or by 
the passage of someone unusually tall. 

The dining room, perhaps more than any 
other room in the home, is subject to the 
ephemeral moods of unthinking fashion. If 
one is to have good illumination in this much 
used room he will be wise to look discriminat- 
ingly before choosing any of the modish de- 
vices periodically offered for this room. 

Table lamps, except the very tiny ones 
of purely decorative value, are out of the 
question, as they obstruct the view across 
the table and occupy needed space. Wall 
brackets, as well, are objectionable, for they 
can hardly be shaded carefully enough to 
escape shining in someone's eyes. 

The low hung chandelier, carefully shaded 












HOME FURNISHING 73 

with soft tinted amber glass, gives a most 
pleasing result, but the leaded glass dome, 
made up of glowing, restful tones of brown, 
yellow, green, and blue, is the most satisfac- 
tory fixture for the average home. It throws 
the light directly upon the table, and while 
illuminating the faces of the diners bril- 
liantly, the wall and ceiling of the room are 
softened by the diffused light, which finds its 
way through the shading glass. 

Quite the most delightful effect that I 
have ever seen in a private dining-room was 
produced by a large, exquisitely chased, 
candelabra reinforced by single candlesticks 
of similar design at the four corners of the 
table, all carrying real candles, and without 
the aid of modern illuminants. Such an 
arrangement is not impracticable for daily 
use even in the modest home, but if one does 
not care for it because of its slight cumber- 
someness it does give a hint to the many and 



74 GOOD TASTE IN 

original "occasional settings," which the 
definiteness of each diner's location makes 
possible in this room of hospitality. 

Libraries are supposed to be used for read- 
ing and consequently there must be a good 
supply of well placed light. The best way 
to furnish this is either by low, well-shaded 
chandeliers or by wall brackets strengthened 
by reading or table lamps. 

Since the introduction of indirect lighting 
the energetic salesmen have done everything 
in their power to introduce it into use for 
home libraries. Their principal claim is "eye 
comfort," that is, a softer light for reading. 
To gain this, however, it is necessary to have 
the ceilings and walls in very light tones, and 
in this way destroying that atmosphere of 
somber and quiet dignity which — with its 
freedom from elements of distraction — is so 
necessary to the proper enjoyment of reading. 
When one weighs the questionable virtues of 









HOME FURNISHING 75 

the indirect methods, as applied to rooms of 
this group, against the increased cost of the 
indirect methods and the pleasure of having 
the soft mellow light of a reading lamp at 
the elbow, little doubt remains in the mind 
of the discriminating householder as to the 
many privileges of the direct system. 

The rooms of this group do not require a 
uniform or brilliant illumination except in 
an occasional and unusual case. It is quite 
sufficient that they have ample light through- 
out the main portion. 

Music rooms are also designed for a defi- 
nite function and do not, as a rule, require 
a great amount of illumination except near 
the instrument. This is best cared for with 
wall brackets or floor lamps so arranged as 
to throw the light upon the music and to 
shade it from the eyes of the audience. In 
large and formal music rooms it is sometimes 
well to have overhead illumination, and this 



7 6 



GOOD TASTE IN 




should be gained as in the living room; with 
ceiling clusters or high-hung chandeliers 
placed well above the range of vision. In 
this room we again encounter an important 
application of that fundamental law of all 
illumination, which is to place light where it 
is needed. In this day of cheap illumination 
and of multitudinous devices for the dis- 
tribution of light it is wise to keep this sim- 
ple rule carefully in mind. 

The den, except when of unusual size and 
pretentiousness, is a simple matter and pre- 
sents no serious complications. A table 
lamp, a floor lamp and a decorative lantern 
hung in a dim corner are usually sufficient 
for the creation of that atmosphere of cozy 
comfort so much to be desired in this room. 

In the reception room, with its formal hos- 
pitality, one encounters more difficulties. In 
planning the illumination for this room, it 
must be remembered that the "social door- 



-ACXW*. JU-~^o -U*. 4c 



er*\, VuaJLc . 



HOME FURNISHING 77 

way of the home" should never be lighted 
with fixtures that cannot be easily avoided, 
even when the room is crowded, and that 
these fixtures should always be carefully 
shaded, for there is nothing more embar- 
rassing to the guest than to be crowded into 
an outstanding lamp or fixture, unless it is 
to be dodging his head about in an effort to 
keep the glare of an unshaded electric bulb 
from the eyes, while engaged in conversation. 
Wall brackets placed rather high, ceiling 
clusters or high chandeliers are always in 
good taste, and, when the room is large 
enough, a combination of all three types can 
be used. Sometimes a floor lamp will add a 
needed note of dignified brightness to a se- 
cluded corner, bringing the whole scheme 
into a pleasing unity. 

Before leaving this group of rooms, it 
may be well to say a word about the im- 
portant subject of "light color." Just at 



78 GOOD TASTE IN 

the present time, this is of peculiar impor- 
tance. Since the introduction of the tung- 
sten lamp the lighting experts have been 
vying with each other in the production and 
laudation of "white light." Now while this 
white light is unquestionably valuable in 
shops and in the service parts of the house, 
there are many reasons why it should be kept 
out of the rooms of the "comfort" and "ac- 
tivity" groups. In the latter groups the 
light should always be of yellowish tones — 
the nearer this approaches an amber the bet- 
ter. The reason for this is simple physi- 
ology. Amber light rays are the shortest of 
the spectrum, that is, they register impres- 
sions with the least physical effort on the 
part of the muscles of the eye, and, as these 
muscles have been straining all day with the 
extremes — long pure red rays, and short pure 
blue rays, and all the intermediate rays — 
they have become almost exhausted by night. 



HOME FURNISHING 



79 



Under white light, reading soon becomes tire- 
some, and the best book is laid aside with a 
"My eyes are so tired I just can't read any 
more," while, on the other hand, under the 
restful rays of the carbon filament's amber 
light, the favorite chapter can be read with 
quiet pleasure, and the soft light gives the 
irritated nerves their needed rest. 

In the "service" group we find a problem 
of an entirely different kind. Here quality 
and quantity of the light distribution should 
be designed to carry as great efficiency as pos- 
sible at the smallest cost. Our object in 
these rooms is to promote the virtues, econ- 
omy and cleanliness, and through them 
quickness and accuracy of service. 

Kitchens and pantries do not require great 
floods of light but they do require that the 
light be evenly distributed. This is best 
gained by the indirect method. An opaque 
bowl equipped with silver reflectors and 



JK 




ait 



-J-wJflJU_ fyiXZZxA i in.. 



"Ujl lciti(U^~ 






80 GOOD TASTE IN 

tungsten lamps, hung from the ceiling, will 
be found to give excellent results. The ex- 
act number of lamps required to give the best 
illumination can best be determined by the 
fixture salesman to whom the conditions of 
each case should be presented. 

In large and complicated rooms of this 
class local lamps may be fixed in the cup- 
boards and in brackets placed over the tables 
and ranges to augment the general illumina- 
tion. 

Here, in basements, and on porches, where 
the indirect system should also be used, the 
white light of the tungsten is most effective 
because its brilliancy fosters cleanliness. 

The sewing room should also have indirect 
lighting, and, where it is possible, both yel- 
low and white lamps should be arranged to 
be used separately at will. This can be ob- 
tained by the use of a double set of lamps 
and a "three way" switch. The advantage 





HOME FURNISHING 81 

gained in having working light for colors to 
be worn either by daylight or in the evening 
will more than repay the slightly increased 
cost of the double installation. 

There are two ways of obtaining this yel- 
low or amber light in indirect bowls. The 
first, by using high power carbon lamps, is 
needlessly expensive, but easier to install. 
The second, by coating or covering the tung- 
stens with amber-colored "gelatine film" 
(such as is used in theaters to produce col- 
ored light effects) is far less expensive, and 
more effective. This film can be purchased 
from any theatrical electric supply house in 
sheets fifteen or eighteen inches square for 
five or ten cents a sheet. It is practically v — * 

fireproof, and should be bound around the 
lamp loosely. In this way one can get a 
light color in any tone desired by increasing 
the number of thicknesses when enclosing 
the bulb. In passing it may be well to men- 








"s^ 7 




82 GOOD TASTE IN 

tion that this film also comes in all colors and 
can be used with excellent effect where col- 
ored lights are wanted for special occasions. 

The semi-direct method, used in rooms of 
the "activity" group, is secured by the use 
of the indirect bowl made of opalescent glass. 
This throws part of the light upon the ceil- 
ing, to be reflected throughout the room, and 
part through the glass of the bowl. The re- 
sult is a beautiful and effective light which 
does not reveal the source lamps. 

In sleeping and dressing rooms this gen- 
eral illumination may be used in combina- 
tion with wall brackets and table lamps. 
These two systems should be on separate 
switches, for one often wishes to rest or read 
in these rooms, and in this way the undesired 
indirect light may be turned out. 

In rooms of this group all direct fixtures 
should point straight up or straight down, 
as it is difficult to shade the source lamps 



HOME FURNISHING 83 

placed in fixtures at an angle and no com- 
pensating decorative result is gained. 

Billiard and card rooms may be lighted 
with semi-indirect fixtures and with single 
drop lights. In this way an evenly distrib- 
uted illumination is possible when desired, 
with localized light when the rooms are in 
actual playing use. There is a definite ad- 
vantage in this localized light from the drop 
lamps, as it leads subconsciously to concen- 
tration, and, consequently, to the enjoyment 
of the game in hand. 

Halls, on occasion, require considerable 
uniformity of light distribution, but gener- 
ally are more pleasingly illuminated with 
dimmed decorative lanterns. A combination 
of the two systems, on separate switches, will 
provide for both occasions with little addi- 
tional expense. 

Bathrooms should be provided with the 
semi-direct bowls and with wall brackets so 



8 4 



HOME FURNISHING 



arranged as to throw the light upon the face 
and not upon the mirrors. This is a common 
error, and it is a rare bathroom that is prop- 
erly planned in this respect. A little thought 
and a little experimenting with this room 
will be well repaid and save much wasted 
light. 

Illumination may seem a tiresome phase 
of interior decoration; it surely is an intri- 
cate phase, but care and study expended 
upon it will bring results which lavished 
money will not bring, and the reward of a 
home properly lighted is a home comfortable 
and restful at the end of the straining day. 




«";;-,-* '--iV. 







CHAPTER VI 



DRAPERIES 



Before deciding upon the color of the 
draperies and curtains ask yourself these 
four questions: 

What are the colors predominating in the 
room, and what do they lack to satisfy the 
"sense of completeness"? 

Is the room light or is it dark, and from 
what point of the compass does the light 
enter it? 

Will the size permit the use of contracting 
colors, such as blue or dark green, or should 
it be hung with expanding colors, such as 
light browns, yellows or tones of rose? 

What is the color of the outside view, and 
is it prominent enough to be taken into con- 
sideration? 

That this idea may be made perfectly 

85 




-At 



_^a»aXV- "ct»<».» <" cXg/C« 



86 GOOD TASTE IN 

clear, let us imagine a typical room and ap- 
ply the questions to it that we may deter- 
mine the colors to be used in the curtains 
and draperies. 

Let our imaginary room be a living room 
of modest size and furnishings. The walls 
are covered with paper of fiber texture, and 
soft gray tan in color. The floor is covered 
with a single tone rug of rich, dark blue, 
flecked thickly with grayish white threads. 
The woodwork is warm brown, smooth- 
grained American walnut. The fumed oak 
furniture is of a refined straight-lined style 
in plain wood. The cushions and pillows, 
scattered throughout the room, are covered 
with light textured materials in strong sin- 
gle tones of brown and green and blue. The 
three windows are large. One faces north 
upon a neighboring lawn; two face east 
upon a street in the residential section of a 
large city. 



HOME FURNISHING 87 

We find, upon considering our first ques- 
tion, that it is a light room, but, as it faces 
north and cast, the light is cold. It gets 
the sunshine only in the early morning. 

Applying our third question we find that 
it is neither a large room nor a small room, 
and that because of this we are at liberty 
to use either contracting or expanding 
colors. 

Finally, the general color of the outside 
view is a brownish green in summer, and a 
bluish brown in winter. 

Going back over our conclusions we find 
that our room lacks "life." That it is light 
but gets little sunshine. That it is neither 
large nor small. That the view outside is 
not of sufficient brilliance to bring cheer 
within its walls — as a lake or hilltop view 
would probably do. 

Here we discover one of the principal mis- 
sions of drapery; to bring into the room a 



88 GOOD TASTE IN 

color that will supply the missing elements 
needed to satisfy the "sense of complete- 
ness," and in so doing to throw into relief 
the dormant possibilities of the room as a 
comfortable, beautiful place in which to 
live. 

Since we have all the contracting color 
that our room will carry, let us turn to the 
expanding or luminous colors. Yellows, 
dark or light, are simply a repetition in a 
higher key of the brown in the woodwork. 
Then, again, if we use yellow we would 
mentally combine it with the blue of the 
floor and the resulting mixture would give 
us the dark brownish green of the outside 
view. It is clear then that we cannot use 
yellow. The other luminous primary is red. 
Pure red would be out of the question be- 
cause it is too vividly compelling, and any 
mixture of pure red and white (giving pink) 
becomes characterless in company with the 



HOME FURNISHING 89 

rich pastel shades of the walls and floor. Let 
us then turn back to our predominating 
color, brown (or warm) gray. Using this 
as a foundation color let us add red. The 
result is a soft, dark "old rose." This color 
brings out the browns and blues of the room 
without antagonizing either. It softens the 
brownish green of the outside view, and with 
its luminous quality of cheer it gives the 
room the "life" it lacked. This is the color 
that we should use. 

For the material of these draperies I 
should use a heavy English linen, figured 
with the immense conventionalized old fash- 
ioned bunches of dark roses on a background 
of light gray tan. 

The color tone of the curtains is not such 
a complicated matter and it can be readily 
determined by simply observing the quality 
and the quantity of light entering the win- 
dow. A very sunny window should be cur- 



go GOOD TASTE IN 

tained with a deep ecru material, as the 
strong brownish color saps the brilliancy of 
the light, and makes the room more livable. 
On the other hand, in a room where the light 
is dim and weak, as when a window is heav- 
ily shaded by trees, or when it faces a wall, 
the clearest white material should be used 
in order that the light may enter undimin- 
ished. The variations of these extremes are, 
of course, the rule, and they should be 
treated as each individual case demands. 
Following this rule, the curtains in our room 
should be of a medium ecru tone to slightly 
warm the cold north light. In material they 
should be of soft light scrim. 

These general rules for selecting tasteful 
drapery and curtain colors and tones may be 
successfully applied to any room with little 
chance of failure to secure harmonious ef- 
fects. 

Another important consideration in the se- 



HOME FURNISHING 91 

lection of curtains and draperies is, for the 
want of a better name, "fitness of quality." 
Whether the room in question be the most 
elaborate of salons, or the simplest of liv- 
ing rooms, this element of fitness is of great 
importance. While it is almost impossible 
to tell where the line of discrimination 
should be drawn, it is possible to set down 
some of the important points to be remem- 
bered when the selections are made. 

The character of the curtains and drap- 
eries should be in keeping with the rest of 
the room. They should never be of such a 
quality or design as to command attention 
to themselves because of their prominence in 
the room. 

Tn the libraries, the living rooms and the 
dining rooms of modest homes the curtains 
should be of the simplest materials, such as 
good qualities of scrim, and the less elabo- 
rate patterns of "net by the yard." In these 



94 GOOD TASTE IN 

rooms one should carefully avoid the imita- 
tion fillet, the ornate machine-made "pair 
curtains," and the more elaborate madras. 
The originals of these materials were woven 
for the broad, bare spaces of the chateau and 
the palace, and in the modest home of to-day 
they always look out of place. 

Keep your decorative scheme simple, and 
when you are selecting your draperies allow 
your good common sense to dominate your 
love of the "artistic." The satisfaction of 
the increased "hominess" of your rooms will 
more than repay you for your efforts. In the 
modest home avoid the use of elaborate and 
pretentious "stuffs," such as heavy brocades, 
velvets and velours which only tend to cre- 
ate an atmosphere imitative of days whose 
spirit is foreign to our modern ways of liv- 
ing. Light silks, sundours, cretonnes, goat's 
hair-woven cloth, soft-toned English linens, 
and for the more formal rooms, light silk 



HOME FURNISHING 95 

velvets or coarse rough silks are much more 
appropriate, for they carry an atmosphere of 
clean, fresh, vigorous vitality entirely in har- 
mony with the spirit of to-day. 

Keep well within the limits of fitness. Al- 
ways avoid the imitation, and, above all, 
avoid the popular attempts to use the less 
expensive materials in the manner of the 
more expensive ones. This is the primal 
cause of many a decorative failure. Too 
much can hardly be said against its practice. 
While it may seem silly to place so much 
emphasis upon so obvious a point, a little 
observation will show one how wary he 
should be in this matter. Cretonne is not 
velvet: it does not carry the same color- 
ings ; it will not hang the same ; it will never 
give the same effect, and it never can be sub- 
stituted for it — regardless of the amount of 
"artistic touch" that is brought into play on 
the situation. There are some things that 



9 6 



HOME FURNISHING 




cannot be accomplished, and this is one of 
them. Each fabric has its own individual- 
ity. That individuality or character fits it 
for a particular use from which no amount 
of coaxing will transform it. Burlap is 
never in good taste in the formal room, and 
velvets are out of place in the cottage. De- 
cide what the room under consideration calls 
for, and then frankly and genuinely use it in 
the manner best suited to its texture. 

These simple rules apply to the hangings 
in every room, from the most informal to 
the most formal, and by following them you 
run a minimum chance of dissatisfaction 
when the scheme is completed and you sit 
down to view the result. 



*5Lu* w^'jc^rzi^^xr~irt^x^x4^>. 



CHAPTER VII 



FURNITURE 



Furniture is undoubtedly the most per- 
sonal feature of the entire decorative en- 
semble. In "hanging the walls," as in se- 
lecting the draperies or floor coverings, the 
householder is more or less swayed by the 
arguments of "artistic" friends and advis- 
ers, but in furniture one feels it weakness 
indeed to relinquish his own notion of a 
comfortable chair or spacious bureau. 
Every day he finds his definite contact with 
these selections sufficient to justify or to de- 
preciate his judgment, and it is through 
these frequent and forceful impressions that 
his ideas are shaped for future purchases. 

While the purchase of new pieces is al- 
ways a task of pleasure, it is nevertheless 
a task with difficulties arising at every turn. 
97 




"WufrAcntfe. *Lt«*«CX5uu. 



98 GOOD TASTE IN 

Chairs probably mean the most to our 
daily comfort, and consequently they will 
be considered first. With the average per- 
son, choosing these is a matter of great im- 
portance ; for nothing will eat into the purse 
more quickly. The purchase of several is 
usually necessary and a few added dollars 
on each rapidly mounts to a surprising fig- 
ure. Though this added expense may often 
seem prohibitive, it is far better to have one 
well made, thoroughly usable piece, than to 
have three whose price presupposes flimsy 
construction and cheap finish. There is no 
greater "penny wise and pound foolish" pol- 
icy than to buy a houseful of reproductions 
of "something - that - can - not-be-told-f rom- 
something-that-is-a-great-deal-nicer." That 
two and two make four in decoration and 
furnishings by the same irrefragable laws 
that make the addition in the counting house 
may seem to be a useless statement, but ob- 



HOME FURNISHING 



99 



servation of many cases where otherwise in- 
telligent people have chosen to ignore this 
simple fact, gives assurance that it is well 
worth repetition. Cheap furniture is turned 
out through the elimination of quality — 
"watering the glue," as the workmen call it 
— and where quality is eliminated certain 
and rapid dilapidation is sure to occur. 

The great number of uses to which we 
put our chairs and the peculiar fitness of 
each type to its own purpose make it prac- 
tically impossible to point out definite, indi- 
vidual principles applying to each separate 
chair; but a few preliminary observations of 
structural lines, adaptability of woods, de- 
sirability of finish and coverings will facili- 
tate matters. 

Mr. Edwin Foley, author of "The History 
of Decorative Furniture," discusses the struc- 
tural lines of the ideal chair with clear logi- 
cal ease. "To be comfortable when sitting 




HOME FURNISHING 101 

down," writes Mr. Foley, "one's feet should 
just touch the ground, so that the most fit- 
ting height for the seat is between fifteen 
and eighteen inches. The next considera- 
tion is the ease of the back; that will be 
partly attained if the seat slopes downward 
toward the back, assisting to throw the ver- 
tebral column out of the perpendicular, as 
in Figure 2 of the illustration. One must 
indeed be tired to be rested by a chair of 
the type of Figure 1, built in evident dis- 
regard of the axiom that to obtain rest the 
form of the chair must be adapted to the 
vertebral curve, so that it may slope and be 
equally in contact at all points. Figure 3 
will, for these reasons, be more comfortable 
than Figure 2, and Figure 2 more so than 
Figure 1. The depth of the seat must be 
regulated also by these considerations: the 
lower the seat the greater the depth, and the 
more necessary the slope of the seat and back. 



102 GOOD TASTE IN 

The chair represented in the profile Figure 
4 will be the acme of discomfort, despite the 
depth of the seat, but this discomfort will be 
considerably lessened if the seat be widened 
and canted toward the back, as indicated by 
the dotted lines; and will be further reduced 
if the back slopes backward (Figure 5) ; and 
practically abolished if the seat be slightly 
raised in front and adapted in its back to 
the vertebral curve, as in Figure 6. The 
discomfort of seats of insufficient depth, and 
backs absolutely at right angles to the seat, 
is exemplified in the average church pew, 
and the average dining-room chair, which 
is, of course, justifiably, indeed admirably, 
designed for anti-soporific purposes. 

"The curve of the ribs should also be con- 
sidered in the rails of the chair back. 

"If arms are added they should not be 
more than ten inches from the seat." 

These principles are so clearly defined by 



HOME FURNISHING 103 

Mr. Foley that any amplification of them 
would tend rather to confuse than to sim- 
plify, but it is possible to sum the whole 
matter up in one pat phrase — good chairs 
are made to sit on with comfort. True, this 
fact is known by everyone, but how pathet- 
ically few are such chairs ! 

If one is to select successful pieces for any 
room in the house, regardless of whether his 
tastes are elaborate and the furniture of the 
Louis appeal or whether they are simple and 
the Mission or Arts Crafts are to be used, he 
must constantly return to certain universal 
principles which apply throughout the en- 
tire work. 

That these principles may be clearly 
brought into relief, let us again imagine our 
room of Chapter VI, an average modern, 
modest living room, say, eighteen feet wide 
and twenty-one feet long, and apply them 
constructively. 



104 



GOOD TASTE IN 







The walls are a soft gray tan, the floor is 
covered with a single-tone rug of rich, dark 
blue flecked thickly with grayish-white 
threads. The woodwork is warm brown, rub- 
finished, plain oak. The three windows are 
large; one faces the north upon a neighbor- 
ing yard; two face east upon a street in the 
residential section of a large city. The win- 
dows are draped with soft, light, simple 
hangings of deep "rose" linen, and the scrim 
curtains, of ecru tone, are trimmed with a 
narrow, inexpensive "Cluny" edge. 

At the end of the room is a fireplace of 
dark red brick; it is built to burn short sticks 
of wood. 

As the average room is used as a gather- 
ing place for the family, it should be com- 
fortable, dignified and at the same time rea- 
sonably intimate — that is, the chairs should 
be personal and not so heavy as to make mov- 

g them from place to place a difficult task. 



U«-«*^>"S3Z~ 



HOME FURNISHING 105 

Laying aside the money problem, as it has 
already been touched upon, we now have 
four considerations confronting us in the 
successful selection of our chairs. 

First, there is the question of style ; it may 
seem impracticable to consider this before the 
others, but, all things being equal, the pur- 
chaser is more liable to errors of judgment 
in style than in any other phase of the work. 
The reason for this seems to lie in the gen- 
eral tendency to be swayed by the trend of 
fashion rather than by the consideration of 
the fact that the chair must last a long time 
and that many fashions will come and go be- 
fore it is practicable to replace the old pieces 
with new ones. 

(Just at present, fortunately, the styles 
are such as to tempt the most cautious buyer, 
for an era of good lines and genuine merit 
seems to be gradually spreading through the 
furniture shops.) 



io6 



GOOD TASTE IN 




The second question will be one of physi- 
cal lines. Here just plain common sense 
nearly always saves one from serious mis- 
takes, for it would be a dull man who would 
put straight-backed chairs in the living room 
and comfortable rockers in the dining room. 

The third question calls for some knowl- 
edge of the characteristics of the principal 
kinds of wood, and one must be guided by a 
serious consideration of the special adapta- 
bility of each. 

The fourth question concerns the up- 
holstering: its color, pattern and texture. 
Here, as in the selection of the proper wood, 
we must consider the formality of the room, 
the color of the walls and floor, and the 
amount of figure which the general scheme 
will permit. 

Turning from these generalizations to the 
more concrete example in our imaginary 
room, we find, on applying our first question, 




S. V ti s » A »v*>." V<w^uWuI 



HOME FURNISHING 107 

that we have a problem that is not solved 
without serious thought. 

The choosing of a proper style leads us 
back over all the ages of good furniture, 
from the heavy and romantic pieces of the 
Renaissance through the ornate, carved and 
overstuffed types of the Louis, through the 
classic fussiness of the Adam brothers, and 
down through the more modern simplicity 
of the Mission and Arts Crafts to the pres- 
ent-day adaptations of any and all of these, 
some of which are splendid, much of which 
is good, and the rest made to sell and not to 
live with. 

In a room, like ours, where simplicity is 
the keynote, heavy, elaborate furniture is 
not in the best taste. 

Directly in this connection is a remark 
recently made by a prominent decorator. 
"I can imagine them," he said, referring 
to some pretentiously carved dining-room 






T\Xm*^L ^U ^ uufccA,, 



io8 



GOOD TASTE IN 



chairs, "before a heaped-up table, in a huge 
banquet hall, but try to imagine how lone- 
some a person would feel sitting in one, in 
the early morning, eating eggs and toast!" 

And he did not overdraw the situation; 
for equally incongruous things are happen- 
ing every day. If our living room could be 
used only on "occasions," then we could 
legitimately fill it with as elaborate furni- 
ture as our pocketbooks would stand, but 
when the room is to be in use all the time 
such fittings are not in good taste. Sim- 
plicity of surroundings creates simplicity of 
thought, and simplicity of thought creates 
the real home atmosphere. 

But how shall we judge the word "sim- 
plicity"? To-day it is upon every tongue, 
and is being played upon by manufacturer 
and salesman until one hears almost noth- 
ing else. For our own convenience we will 
define simplicity in a chair (like simplicity 




f>\AAM IaiJVvmAmAjC , 



HOME FURNISHING 109 

in a man) as a virtue only when it is backed 
by the more substantial qualities of genuine- 
ness and fulfillment of purpose. 

It is extremely doubtful that the gods 
stood by to marvel when a very large share 
of the so-called Mission and Arts Crafts fur- 
niture was being made, despite the fact that 
it is the acme of simplicity. 

In choosing the proper style for our room, 
then, we will choose chairs of what might be 
called a "semi-Mission" style — that is, our 
chairs will have plain, unornamented lines, 
but these lines will be graceful and slender, 
with possibly a slight shaping at the termi- 
nals. This type has all the good comforts 
of the "Windsor," the firmness of the "Mis- 
sion," and the grace of the "Adam." 

As has been said before, in choosing the 
wood we must keep an eye open to several 
qualities. This calls for certain knowledge 
of the four principal kinds, as, for instance, 



no GOOD TASTE IN 

the knowledge that mahogany is very dur- 
able, the most expensive, the hardest to keep 
in neat condition, and only when worked into 
the simplest designs is it practically appli- 
cable to the modern, modest interior. 

Oak is heavy, comparatively inexpensive, 
durable and easily taken care of. 

Birch is light, not very durable, about as 
inexpensive as oak, but it requires more care. 

The several grades of walnut make it more 
difficult to tabulate the general character- 
istics in a few words. It is, however, about 
as inexpensive as the lesser grades of ma- 
hogany, it is easier to care for, it is quite 
durable, and is considered the most "dressy" 
of the plain woods — we are not considering 
the "fancy" woods like curly maple and 
others of that class. 

These characteristics should be carefully 
borne in mind throughout the selecting. 

Of the four woods mentioned, perhaps the 



HOME FURNISHING m 

best for our purpose is either a good grade 
of oak or the less expensive grades of ma- 
hogany. Chairs in these two woods can be 
purchased in the type we have chosen, and 
they are nearly always to be found in the 
better furniture stores. There is another 
advantage in getting furniture in these 
woods, and that is the point of color. The 
rich dark brown and red brown tones har- 
monize with almost any wall and floor cov- 
erings and are not difficult to match in the 
event of additional purchases. The best of 
this furniture will be found in the "nearly 
brown" mahogany. 

The finish of these chairs should be 
"rubbed," and not polished; for highly pol- 
ished furniture is not of the best grade. The 
polish is nearly always given to hide blem- 
ishes in the wood, and when it wears off, the 
result — as nearly everyone knows from at 
least one sad experience — is a patchy, 



112 GOOD TASTE IN 

blotchy piece which soon starts on the well 
known road from living room to storage. 

The birch and walnut (except black wal- 
nut, a very expensive and uncommon grade) 
are rather to be avoided on account of their 
color than for any other reason. While they 
are not exactly light, they give the sense of 
lightness or, as has been said before, "dressi- 
ness," and they do not harmonize well with 
the average living-room ensemble. 

Of course, there is the birch that is stained 
mahogany color, but that is a sham, and these 
articles presuppose that imitations or shams 
are never to be used in the home. (Except- 
ing, as has been cleverly remarked, pillow 
shams.) It is too easy for us to secure the 
real thing for the imitation to have the slight- 
est excuse for existence. Avoid imitations, 
pretensions and make-believes in your fur- 
nishings as you would in your daily work. 
They are never just as satisfactory, and their 



HOME FURNISHING 113 

very presence can do nothing but retard that 
true home spirit — genuineness. 

The question of number and to what ex- 
tent upholstery is needed, usually finds its 
solution in the size of the family both in 
point of numbers and avoirdupois. Let 
us, then, consider that the family who will 
occupy our room consists of four — a father 
of medium stoutness, a slender mother, a 
slender daughter and an athletic six-footer 
of a son. 

We will imagine that they are a most un- 
usual family — that they stay at home in the 
evenings, and that each has his or her fa- 
vorite chair. 

The father, being moderately well padded 
by nature, will want some softness, though 
not the softness of fabric. For him we would 
choose a well shaped Morris chair, up- 
holstered with heavy Spanish leather. 

The mother, lacking some of nature's 



114 HOME FURNISHING 

blessings, will want real softness in her chair, 
and for her we will choose one with moder- 
ately low back — to avoid mussing her hair 
— and upholstered on the back, seat and 
arms with a light wool tapestry or a heavy 
silk. 

The daughter, though slight, and like her 
mother, lacking the charms of a well-filled- 
out person, is young and will be more at- 
tracted to a chair whose seat is lightly cov- 
ered with a light wool tapestry, or should 
she be more daintily inclined, a silk bro- 
cade or damask. 

The son, well equipped with firm, strong 
muscles, will invariably choose the plain, up- 
holstered chair whose comfortable lines al- 
low him to rest without the "sticky" feel- 
ing of upholstery. 

In this way we have selected four "fa- 
vorite" chairs, and for the callers we will 



n6 GOOD TASTE IN 

choose two with good, comfortable lines and 
the lightest upholstering. 

In front of the fireplace we will have 
either a fireside chair, similar to the one in 
the illustration, or a six-foot davenport. 

Of the latter it is better to choose one 
whose back is the same height as the arms, 
and on which no wood shows at all, except, 
of course, a little bit at the legs. This type 
is by far the most comfortable, and comfort 
is the virtue of the davenport. 

The color of these upholsterings is a ques- 
tion which involves all the other colors in 
the room, and as a general rule they should 
be complementary to the side walls. In our 
rooms the walls are a soft gray tan (about 
three parts yellow, one part blue and one 
part red) and the coverings would be best 
in soft blue greens and olive browns. These 
can be of mixed materials and can interweave 



HOME FURNISHING 117 

any or all the other colors in the spectrum if 
the predominating note remains constant. 

The simplicity of our room leaves the se- 
lection of patterns entirely to personal judg- 
ment. They may be large or small or per- 
fectly plain as pleases the occupants of the 
room best. 

Now going back over our selections and 
arrangements, we find that we have seven 
chairs and a fireside chair or six chairs and 
a small davenport, that they are of oak or 
dark brown mahogany, that the coverings 
are of soft blue greens and olive browns, and 
that each chair is in keeping with the per- 
sonal tastes of the one who will occupy it 
the largest share of the time. 



CHAPTER VIII 

THE LIVING ROOM 

The decoration and furnishing of the home 
is such a personal matter — take it from what 
angle you will — that I am going to close this 
little book with three letters that I received 
recently from a friend of mine who has just 
been married: a young decorator of definite 
purpose, little money, and keen artistic per- 
ceptions. His letters describe the living 
room, the dining room and the bedroom of 
the tiny city apartment which he has fitted 
up, not to make the neighbors gasp with won- 
derment at his skill, not to show how much 
can be done for a few dollars, but that he 
may live more happily and more harmoni- 
ously. 

My dear Friend: 

I have been neglecting you dreadfully. 
There is no doubt about that, but you know 
118 



HOME FURNISHING 119 

when one is going through the parliamentary 
tangles of matrimonial enthralment — well — 
there isn't much time for old friends who are 
out of sight though never out of mind. 

But that is a matter of history now — 
and mighty interesting history, I might add. 
However, to release a bromide, that is an- 
other story. 

Unless your tastes have changed in our 
four years of separation, the thing about it all 
that will interest you most is what we did 
with the four rooms and bath in which Eliza- 
beth and I have started out on the "long jour- 
ney." 

In the first place we were lucky. We 
tramped the town looking for just the spot, 
and then by the merest chance we discovered 
a little notice on a door to the effect that the 
tenants of the third floor could be induced 
to sublet. It looked promising, so up we 
went. The four rooms were full of sun- 
shine and the sizable back porch overlooked 
the lake, but I hope I never live to see a 
worse hodge-podge of almost mahogany 



120 GOOD TASTE IN 

furniture, pink calcimine walls and nearly- 
antique Oriental rugs. Nevertheless, the 
possibilities were all there and I closed the 
bargain with the master of the house, while 
Elizabeth discussed the relative merits of 
the neighborhood grocers with the mistress. 

Some two weeks after that we returned to 
see what we could do with our future home. 
The near-nice furniture was gone and that 
was a relief, but the pink walls were still 
glaring and the naturalistic fruit in the pat- 
tern of the paper in the dining room still 
looked real enough to pick. 

Our first problem was to get a general 
scheme — a background — to work from. As 
the place is very light and very airy — three 
windows in a row across one end of both liv- 
ing room and dining room and a big one in 
the small bedroom — and as my work leads 
me into daily contact with lots of color and 
excitement, and, again, as Elizabeth's tastes 
are toward simple, quiet things, we decided 
to hold our background colors in low dull 
tones of gray, brown, and plum. We decided 



HOME FURNISHING 121 

to carry the same wall covering, carpet and 
woodwork finish through the living room and 
dining room. 

That settled the actual materials that had 
to be looked up. 

The plum color, being the heaviest, nat- 
urally, went to the floor, and for that we 
found a new material called "cowshair," 
or "Bocule," which it would pay you to look 
up. It is a hard finished carpet that comes in 
yard strips and a dozen or more splendid 
"floor shades." It is very easy to keep clean 
and feels good to the foot. It is not expen- 
sive either — one-fifty a yard. 

This we had made into a full carpet with 
a border some fifteen inches deep of the next 
shade darker. The effect is excellent and 
there are no varnished or waxed floor edges 
to bother with. 

Brown came next in the color scale, and 
that went to the woodwork. The living 
room was birch mahogany of an impossible 
red, but the painter changed that to a good 



HOME FURNISHING 123 

"weathered oak" brown without any trouble 
and at very little expense. 

Next came the walls and these we covered 
with a plain warm gray oatmeal paper that 
has a little hairy stuff mixed in it to give tex- 
ture. 

The ceiling we tinted just a few tones 
lighter than the walls. 

With that background we had a very 
clean, strong "something" in which to put 
our fittings. (I will leave the details for 
the dining room and bedroom for other let- 
ters.) 

The three windows on the front of the liv- 
ing room face west on to the street, and as we 
are up three floors, with no high buildings 
opposite, we get lots of light of an after- 
noon. These we hung with curtains of me- 
dium ecru scrim with a hemstitched border. 
There is a one inch "heading" at the top. 
The over-draperies are a dark red India print 
of close pattern which we split in the middle 
and hung with both borders facing "in." 



124 GOOD TASTE IN 

The curtains and draperies are hung to the 
baseboard. 

To complete the window scheme we have 
a large Boston fern in a dark green jardiniere 
on a small square weathered oak stand 
(about eighteen inches high) directly in 
front of the center window. 

For furniture we got light straightline oak 
pieces of "weathered" finish that are com- 
fortable — two rockers and a straight side 
chair. To this we added a little Chinese 
cane rocker in dark green. The small table 
is at the side of the room and on it stands 
the odd little bronze lamp that I have drawn 
here. (See Frontispiece.) 

On the mantelpiece at the opposite side 
is a nine-inch plaster cast head of the "Un- 
known Beauty of the Louvre." On either side 
of that are two small brass candlesticks. To 
break the severity of too many straight lines, 
we have a small brass vase, which we keep 
filled with autumn leaves. Oak leaves hold 
their color all winter when kept like that, 
you know. 



HOME FURNISHING 125 

On the walls we have five Japanese prints 
and a cast of the "Aurora" arranged in little 
"elevations." 

I almost forgot to speak of Elizabeth's 
desk in one corner and of the bookcase, but 
you can see what they are and how they are 
arranged in the drawings. We had to do a 
good deal of hunting to find these pieces to 
match with the other furniture but the re- 
sult was more than worth the trouble and 
we are not at all sorry that we did not do 
the easy thing of giving up and accepting 
something-that-would-do-just-as-well. 

Altogether, the effect is quite good and we 
are looking forward to seeing you very soon 
in our harmonious little apartment. 

Sincerely, 

Bob. 



CHAPTER IX 



THE DINING ROCM 



My dear Boy: 

I was so glad to hear from you yesterday 
that I am breaking all records by answering 
by return mail. I am also glad that you 
liked the way we fitted up our little twelve- 
foot by fifteen-foot living room. In fact, I 
am so glad that you liked it that I am going 
to take a chance and tell you all about the 
dining room, and, if you survive that I may 
take another chance and add our only other 
"fitted up" room — the bedroom. 

If I remember correctly, I told you that we 
carried that nice warm-gray texture paper 
through living room and dining room, like- 
wise the plum colored rug and the "weath- 
ered oak" finish on woodwork and furniture. 
But whether I said it or not we did, that is, 
we did with reservations. Now, here's what 
I mean. The dining room has a plate rail 
126 



HOME FURNISHING 127 

about two-thirds of the way up and a dado 
made of some kind of composition covering 
with an impossible design scribbled all over 
it. This paneling, or dado, we stained the 
darkest brown tone that I could find in the 
oak woodwork. The color not only brought 
the room "into tone" but the dark wall makes 
a particularly attractive background for peo- 
ple as they sit about the table. This, by the 
way, was a lucky after-discovery; but it is 
one to be remembered for future use. 

The built-in sideboard is fortunate in its 
lines, as you can see by the little drawing 
at the side of this page, and did not call for 
any changes. 

The furniture is of the same style and 
color as that in the living room, except for 
the little "tiffin" of black painted wood and 
Chinese cane upon which stands our tea set. 

The table is square. Yes, I know that you 
will disapprove, but with all your explaining 
you have never convinced me that round ta- 
bles are anything but a fad. In the first 
place, the dining room is small. After a lit- 



128 HOME FURNISHING 

tie journey into the "round tops" we found 
that one with a 48-inch diameter was the 
minimum and that even more width was 
necessary if our table was to look attrac- 
tive. That set us to thinking about "square 
tops," and after investigating the mathe- 
matics of the thing we found that the area 
of a 50-inch round table was actually less 
than the area of a 45-inch square table by 
several square inches. That settled it. We 
wanted a table that would "set" nicely and 
we needed something small. The square ta- 
ble answered right up to all requirements and 
was "elected." I can't see why more people 
don't use them, they are so much nicer in 
every way. Now! the quarrel is over and 
I hope you are convinced. 

The next problem was that of curtains 
and draperies and that we settled by using 
the same kind of scrim curtains as those in 
the living room, and the same kind of over- 
draperies, except in point of color; those in 
the dining room being of natural linen color 




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130 GOOD TASTE IN 

with a small stripe woven from a black pat- 
tern crossing and recrossing them. 

We have placed very few pieces on the 
plate rail, and these have been carefully se- 
lected purely for their decorative value. 
Each plate has some broad simple pattern 
on it, that can be completely seen and un- 
derstood at a glance. There is nothing so 
annoying to me as a motto plate or one in 
fine, elaborate detail, because the nature of 
man is based on curiosity and not to be able 
to read or see what one can almost read or 
see is tantalizing in the extreme. 

And now comes the nicest part of all — at 
least to Elizabeth and me. We had the large 
central electric fixture removed, a ceiling 
lamp installed for working purposes, such as 
"setting" and "clearing" the table, and are 
using candles entirely for dinner. It is really 
delightful. I browsed around in antique 
shops until I found a fine old seven-branch 
candlestick whose design just fit in with our 
scheme of decoration, then, after giving it a 
good bath, we put it into service. You can't 



HOME FURNISHING 131 

imagine how charming it is — seems as though 
we were having a party every night, and the 
interesting shadows it casts ! 

But I must not make this letter too long 
or you will not give me a chance to write 
the other one about our bedroom. Eh*? 

Sincerely, 

Bob. 



CHAPTER X 

THE BED ROOM 

My dear Friend: 

Once more I have been deserting you, and 
once more I am ashamed of it. I have no 
excuse save that of being very busy and that 
is little more than an explanation. Eliza- 
beth and I have been spending all our spare 
time arranging and rearranging our furni- 
ture, our pictures and our few pieces of bric- 
a-brac in an effort to bring about a personal 
atmosphere that would change our little 
apartment from a well equipped dwelling 
place into a real home. We are repeating 
William Morris' little rule over everything 
and trying to get an honest answer from our- 
selves. You know the one I mean: 

"Have nothing in your home that you do 
not know to be useful or believe to be beau- 
tifuir 

If you have never made your household 
132 



HOME FURNISHING 133 

goods — be they much or little — come up to 
that standard you do not know how many 
you have that do not come up to it. How 
often have you allowed something to stay 

because — well, just because % How 

often have you bought a chair or a table or 
a lamp or a book just because it struck your 
momentary fancy or because you needed 
something for the place and you didn't take 
the trouble to look about until you were 
really pleased? But what am I scolding 
you for? You taught me that little stand- 
ard yourself, but we have had such a good 
time applying it that I can't help preaching. 
Pictures, that neither of us really care for, 
books that will never be read but once, an 
ugly chair that Elizabeth had in her old 
rooms, a vase of none too good a shape, all 
went out the back door to this and that 
"happy hunting ground." Every one of the 
pieces had some minor sentimental grip on 
us, and it was hard to let some of them go. 
Now that it is all over the things that are 
left are doubly dear to us. The "judgment 



134 GOOD TASTE IN 

day" is going to be an annual affair. Once 
a year we are going to "eliminate" ; it pays. 
All this by way of explaining why over a 
month has gone by between the receipt of 
your good answer to my letter about our lit- 
tle dining room and this new letter which is 
to tell you something about our bed room. 

You will remember that the living room 
and dining-room are in tones of warm gray, 
brown, and plum. And that the decorative 
notes, or color spots, are dull red, green, and 
black. We felt that that was enough for 
the somber colors. We wanted the bed room 
to be in a "happy mood," so we sprinkled 
color everywhere. The wall paper is a 
bright English chintz paper with a little in- 
definite pattern of odd, unheard-of flowers 
(very close together) all over it. The gen- 
eral tone is of blue and gray, although that 
does not describe it, because there is a dis- 
tinct feeling of bright yellow through it all. 
The woodwork is the same as the lightest tint 
in the paper, a very light warm gray. The 



HOME FURNISHING 135 

ceiling is dead white. On the floor we have 
two old-fashioned "hit or miss" rag rugs. 
The bed, the bureau and the two chairs are 
of the same general pattern as the living- 
room and dining-room furniture enameled 
to match the woodwork and striped with the 
blue of the paper. The curtains are the same 
throughout the house — hemstitched scrim — 
the over-draperies (because of the closely 
figured wall paper) are plain gray, a shade 
deeper than the woodwork and furniture, 
while upon the walls we have three of 
Jules Guerin's most delightful Venetian 
prints framed in very narrow (one-quarter 
inch) black frames. These three little black 
panels framing the soft brilliant colors of the 
prints, back away from the light colors of 
the room are very effective, and, we feel, give 
it character and save it from being just 
pretty. So there, as someone once said, you 
have it. 

We like our little home. Do you? 

Yours, 

Bob. 



CHAPTER XI 

WHEN BUYING REMEMBER THAT 

Yellow, and all colors founded upon yel- 
low, have a tendency to "warm" the rooms in 
which it is used, and to "expand" the objects 
to which it is applied. 

Red, and all colors founded upon red, have 
a tendency to "intensify" the rooms in which 
it is used and to make more prominent the 
objects to which it is applied. 

Blue, and all colors founded upon blue, 
have a tendency to "diminish" the rooms in 
which it is used, and to make less prominent 
the objects upon which it is applied. 

Green, purple and brown, and all other 

combined colors will follow the tendencies 

of the most definite primary color in their 

mixture. For example: a green that has a 

strong yellow cast, as olive, will follow the 
136 



HOME FURNISHING 137 

general rule of yellow, or a green that has a 
strong blue cast, as "dull green," will fol- 
low the general rule of blue. 

Perpendicular stripes in wall paper or 
draperies will give the room height. 

Horizontal stripes in wall paper or drap- 
eries will give the room width. 

Small disconnected spots or patterns in 
Avail paper or draperies will "dance," and 
are seldom to be desired. 

Realistic flowers, fruits or birds in wall 
papers and draperies are false in principle 
and should never be used. 

Patterns should be of two dimensions and 
should "lie flat" on the walls except in the 
cases of broad conventionalization. 

Floor coverings or treatments should be 
"low" in tone and should form a "base" 
for the room. 

Highly polished floors are uncomfortable 



138 GOOD TASTE IN 

to walk upon and unpractical from every 
viewpoint. 

Oriental rugs should be chosen with great 
care and should be investigated with an eye 
to their real value both in wear and color. 

If a worn rug is offered you as an antique 
at less than five dollars a square foot there 
is something wrong. Either the dealer is 
being cheated or you are. Find out which 
it is. 

Arrangement of lighting fixtures in the 
home should be such as to give you light 
where it is needed. Other light is costly 
both to the eyes and to the pocketbook. 

In furniture it is well to avoid excessive 
carving, knobs, balls, spindles, spirals, and 
curly curves. In simple lines and broad 
graceful curves there is charm and dignity. 

Extensive wall and floor spaces are needed 
to properly carry large furniture such as di- 
vans, davenports and "overstuffed" pieces. 



HOME FURNISHING 139 

In small rooms they crowd and complicate 
the rooms, making them look much smaller 
than they actually are. 

In small rooms a simple, light set of fur- 
niture of the straightline type is best but if 
that cannot be obtained, furniture of the 
Georgian period will be found to be very 
satisfactory. 

Adam furniture is always painted, Shera- 
ton is always inlaid with other woods, and 
Hepplewhite or Chippendale always carved. 
These are the principal Georgian period di- 
visions and should be chosen according to 
individual requirements. 

Care should be used in choosing leather 
upholstering. Leatherettes soon make the 
best chair appear shabby. 

Mahogany, genuine or imitation, and other 
highly polished woods should be avoided 
where "wear" counts. They are easily 
scratched, gather dust and finger marks and 



140 HOME FURNISHING 

require much labor to keep them in condi- 
tion. 

"Period" furniture should be used only 
in the rooms fitted completely in the given 
period. In the modern small apartment with 
little wall space and miscellaneous wood- 
work, it has no place. 

Potted plants and cut flowers are a means 
of decoration that can be both inexpensive 
and effective. A large Boston fern or a sin- 
gle rose in a slender vase gives "life" and 
"charm" not to be gained in any other way. 

"Have nothing in your home that you do 
not know to be useful or believe to be beauti- 
ful^ 

— William Morris. 




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